Flying-machine.



W. RABSILBBR.

l FLYING MACHINE. APPLIUATION'HLBD 321,119, 1912.

' Patented June 24;'1913.

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lul/Enron Anoinfr W. RABSILBER.

FLYING MACHINE.

, A.119911101111011 FILED SEPT. 19, 1912.

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Patented June 24,

WILLIAM RAIBSILBEB, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

r FLYING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

lPatented June 24C, 1913.`

ApplicationL led September 19, 1912. Serial No. 721,113.

To all fw/zc'm. it may concern: Y

Be it known that I, vWILLIAM RABSILBER, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, residing at the borough of Brooklyn, city of New York, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certa-in new and useful Improvements in FlyingMachines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying draw ings.

This invention relates to improvements in flying. machines ,and` particularly to improvements in flying machines of the heavier-than-air type; and an object of this invention is to provide a flying machine which will be susceptible of practical use` on ordinary highways as a self-propelled road-vehicle and which may be caused to rise into the air from a standstill or complete stop without speeding the machine along the road.v

Another object of this invention is 'to provide a flying machine of the `heaviertlian-aiitype which maybe malntainedln the air ata standstill or complete stop without descending.

A third object of thisinvention is to provide a flying machine of the heavier-thanair type which will maintain its stability inthe air under all conditions..

A fourth obiect of this invention 1s the provision in a 'flying machine of the heavier-than-air type of means which prevent the machine from descending at a dangerous speed and which will not in even narrow streets interfere with obstacles along the route, when the machine is operated vas a self-propelled road-vehicle.

In the drawings illustrating the principle of this invention and the best mode now known to me of applying that principle,

Figure 1 is a side elevation, somewhat diagrammatic in character, of my new flying machine; Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof; and 3 is a sectional detail of one of the sustaining planes.

The frame-members 10 of the skeleton supporting frame of my new flying machine At each end of thctubular body 15 there is provided a shaft-supporting frame 17 in a bearing 17 in which is journaled one end of a centrally-disposed propeller-shaft 18` which is 'driven by the engines 13; through the rope (or chain) drives 19. In the tubuJ lar body 15 of the machine are mounted several sets of sustaining ,planes 20 which extend transversely 'between the side posts of the frame 114 of the body 15 and which are mounted upon horizontallydisposed rocl'nshafts 21 which extend from side to side of the latter and the ends of which are rotatably mounted in suitable bearings 22 in the side-posts of the frame 14. ln each set the sustaining planes 20 are arranged one above the other in a vertical series. Each rock-shaft 21 is provided with a rocker arm 23 and the rocker-arms of the shafts of the same set of planes 20 are all pivotally connected to a common vertical adjusting sliderod 24, so that there is one slide-rod for each set of sustaining planes. The lower endof i each of the slide-rods v24:4 is connected through a bell-crank 25 with a main adjustingslide-rod 26 which may be moved back `and forth lengthwise of the machine by means of alever 27 which is fulcrumed at 27 and the vlower end of Which'is arranged within convenient reach of the aviator, who sits in the seat 2,8. On the driving shaft 18 there are mounted propellers 29, which are arranged between they several sets of sustaining planes. there pivotally mounted a horizontallydisposed elevating plane 30 to the front end of which are attached the endsof a cord At the front of the machine 31 which passes over the pulleys 32, 33. The s lower pulley '33 is mounted upon a trans- 5j verse shaft 34C, upon one end of which 'is mounted another pulley- 35 over which passes a rope 36 `which connects the latter with the handy-Wheel 37 arranged within convenient grasp of the operator.

l By. turning the hand-wheel 37, the operator may4 give the elevating plane 30 the desired inclination. At the rear of the machine there is journaled a vertically-disposed rudder-shaft 38, the lower end of which is provided with a pulley 39 over which and an intermediate pulley 40 passes an endless cord 41. The intermediate pulley is in turn -connected with a ypulley 42'by' a cord 43.-

The pulley 42 is mounted upon a transverse. shaft 44 oneend of which carries a lpulley 45 which is connected by the coro 46 with a second hand-wheel 47 arranged near the seat 28.

By turning the wheel 47 the shaft 44V is turnedandV thereby turns the pulley 42 which,y through the cords 41, 43, communicates motion vto the pulleys 39, 40, respecwing 49 upwardly into theposition shown in full vlines in Fig. 2. Suitable stops l are provided for limiting the upward swing of the'wings 49. To each of the latter there.

is attached a cord 52 which passes over a ide-pulley 53 andis wound upon a windn ass 54 mounted upon the center-post 55 (Fig. 2) and operable1 by means et' a crankm handle 56, by trni'n'g which the wings 49 may be drawn down into the dotted-line position of Fig. 2. Asuitablepawtandratchet mechanism 57 holds the windlass 54 against turningdn the opposite directionl under the iniuenceoi' thecoilsprings 50 or the pressure of the air.

As shown in Fig, each sustaining plane 20 preferably consists of the side-pieces 20 in slots 20c in which are tted the ends oi the vanes 20. By means of the steeringhandle 58 the fork 59 of the front-wheel 11 may be turned to steer the machine when th same is used as a road-vehicle- The operation of my new flying machine. will now be readily understood and is sub-4 stantially as follows: When it is-desired to drive the 'machine along an ordinary road:

Way as a self-propelled road-vehicle,`the

vanes 20 of the sustaining planes 20 are brought;l into'a horizontal position and the propeller shaft 18 is driven,`thereby driving the propellers 29 which, reacting upon thev air in the open-ended tubular-body 15', propel the machine along' the street. If nowthe operator desires to rise into the air with-.

outspeeding along the roadway, he tilts the planes 20 into the position shown in Fig. 3. A current of air is drawn through the tubular body l5 by the propellers 2 9 and this current Otan-,striking against the vanes 20 of the planes20, creates an upwardlyacting force which will cause the machine tov rise into the air lfrom astandstill-or full stop. After the current of air passes through one set of the planes 20, it is directed by the next following propeller 29 against, the next succeeding set of planes. It' the lmachine be moving along inthe air audit beV desired to bring the machine to a full stop withoutdescending, the operator tilts the ysustaining p. planes 20 still more and keeps the propellers 65 29 rotating. As before there is generated an upwardly lactin'gforce which acts upon the planes 2O and prevents the machine lfrom falling, although the machine is at a stand still in the air. In the case of the failure of one or both of the engines, the wings 49 are thrown out and act likea parachute t0 sustain the machine so that it will not drop with dangerous swiftness to the earth. Moreover, since the heavyportions of the machine (such as the engine and planes) are located at the bottom of the machine, the center of grav-ity 'of the same is very' low, which tends to give stability to the machine and prevents itfrombeingtop-heavy. When it is desired to move along a narrow street or roadway, the wings 49 may be folded to the sides of the frame of the body, as shown in the dotted lines in Fig. 2.

I claim: 85

1. A iiying machine Vjot' the heavier-thanair type, including an open-ended tubular body; tilt-able sustaining planes mpunted therein; propelleis mounted between 'said planes; and driving lmechanism foigactuating said propellers.

2. A llying machine of the heavier-than Y vair type, including Kan; openeended tubular.

body; a pluralityl of sets of tiltable sustaining planes mounted transversely of 'said' 95 body, each set o'said planesconsisting of a series, of, plaies-arranged vone aboi'e the other; a' pluralityf'oiwpropellers which/'alternate with said s'etsuof sustaining plan-es fromA front to re'apfsaid'body andy directthe air 100` passing therethrough" .against said planes;

and [driving mechanism for actuatingsaid propellers;-

3. A flying machine of the heavier-thanair type,-including a vehicle; an open-ended tubular body carried thereby tiltable sustaining Aplanesmounted in said tubular body,I -propellers mounted between said planes; and. driving mechanism for actuating? Said propellers. 1 10 4. Aglying machine of the heavier-thant'airtype, including an" open-ended tubular body; tiltable sustaining planes mounted in said tubular body; 'propellers mounted between said'planes;4v driving mechanism for 115 actuating said p propellersf; and l foldable wings carried -bysaidl tubulanbody.-

Signed at the borough of l\/ Ianl1attan,jcity, county and State O'New York thisflighteenth day of September,A. D., 1912, 'ln the. 120

presenceof the two undersigned witnesses.

WILLIAM RAB SILBER.

Witnesses:

JAMES HAMILTON, E. I. MGCARTHY.

Genie@ of this patent may be obtained for 've cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, .D. G. 

